Automatic gun-pointing.



B. A. FISKE & E. A. SPERRY.

AUTOMATIC GUN POINTING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. 1914.

1,238,503. Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

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B. A. FISKE &' E. A. SPERRY.

AUTOMATIC GUN POINTING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30.1mm

1,238,503. Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

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ATTORNEY STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

BRADLEY A. FISKE, OF THE UNITED STATES'NAVY, ND ELMER A. SPERRY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO SPERRY GYROSCOP YORK.

COMPANY, OF'IBRQOKLYN, NEW

AUTOMATIC GUN-POIN'TING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

Application filed April 30, 1914. Serial No. 835,522.

and New York, N. Y., respectively, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Automatic GunsPointing, of which the following is a specification. r

This invention relates particularly to naval gunnery. A

The object of this invention is to maintain a gun or the like elevated for a given range irrespective of the angular movements of its more or less unstable support in a vertical plane.

It should be understood that the sight and the gun may be traversed in azimuth, and be set at the proper angles of convergence for different ranges in the usual way or in any suitable manner as this invention concerns only the automatic control for maintaining the proper angle between the sight and the axis of the gun for any given range irrespective of the rolling or pitching of the ship.

Our object we have attained by means of gyroscopically controlled apparatus which keeps the sight pointed at the target and also the gun elevated for the range of the target. This in the form shown includes a telescope or like device for sighting the gun or other member on the target, a socalled follow-up motor for automatically tilting the sighting device, a control device operated by the gyroscope to control the follow-up motor, and power mechanism controlled by the follow-up motor for automatically elevating and depressing the gun or other member. The controlling connections from the follow-up motor to the power shifting or elevating mechanism usually take the form of a circuit controlling transmitter operated by the follow-up, motor synchro nously with the tilting 015 the sighting device and arepeater motor controlled by the transmitter and itself exercising a control over the hydraulic or other power driven mechanism which may be employed for doing the actual work of elevating and depressing the gun.

Various other features of the invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

The accompanying two sheets of draw-- ings illustrate in concrete form a practical embodiment of our invention,.it being understood that various changes and modifications may be resorted to without departure from the true scope and spirit of the invention.

Figure l, is a view in side elevation illustratmg in a more or less general way an application of the invention to the control of a gun on shipboard.

Fig. l is a dlagram showing the convergence of the axes of the gun and sight.

Fig. 2, is an enlarged part-sectional view illustrating the relation between the sighting device, gyroscope, contact device, follow-up motor and transmitter.

Fig. 3, is a diagrammatic representation of the circuits, circuit controllers and motor mechanisms by which control is eifected from the gyroscope to the sighting device and to the gun elevating mechanism.

In the present illustration the ships turret 7, forms the unstable support for the gun 8, which is journaled on horizontal trunnions 9 in the usual way. The telescope 10 is mounted on horizontal trunnions 12 on the elevating arm 11, parallel to the gun trunnlons.

The power mechanism for elevating the gun is illustrated in the form of a constantly rotating motor 14, driving a suitable hydraulic speed and reverse gear set 15. This through the bevel gears 16, the elevating nut 17, and elevating screw 18, elevates and depresses the guns.

The gyroscope as a whole is designated 20 and it is here shown (see Fig. 2) as having a frame 21 pendulously suspended on bearings 22, concentric to but independent of the sight.

Within the frame are mounted on the vertical pivots 23, the gyroscope casings 24, each of which contains a gyroscope wheel or rotor 25, the two gyro casings being gearedtogether by the segments 26 to cause the gyros to precess in harmony. This construction enables the gyroscope to respond only to angles in a vertical plane.

Numeral 28 designates the so-called follow-up motor which is subjected to control by the gyroscope and serves in the present instance in the double capacity of keeping the sight pointed on the target and also transmitting the necessary controlling impulses to. the gun elevating mechanism.

The device by which the gyroscope is enabled to control the follow-up motor the gyroscope and the telescope, causes one member of the contact device'to track over the other member and through suitable circuit connections to vary the operation of the motor.

The driving connections between the motor and the sight are shown in the form of a pinion 33 on the motor shaft 34 engaging a gear segment 35, fast on the sight trunnion 12. A convenient method of mounting the contactplates 31 and 32 is to fasten them on the inside of this gear segment, as indicated in Fig. 2. I

- Circuit connections by which the control of the follow-up motor may be effected from the contact device, are illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein 37 indicates a source of current supply connected between the trolley 29 and the follow-up motor. 28. 39 is a branchpf the circuit extending from one contact plate 31 to the motor fieldwindings 40, 40. 41 is another branch extending from the other contact plate 32 to the reverse set of field windings 42, 42. With the trolley 29 in the intermediate position indicated in Fig. 3 the follow-up motor remains idle but when the trolley is in engagement with only one contact plate, the motor rotates in a direction dependent upon which set of field coils are energized.

The circuit controller or so-called transmitter for transmitting the controlling impulses to the gun elevating mechanism is indicated at 45 and is shown diagrammatically and more in detail in- Fig. 3. This transmitter is positively driven either directly or indirectly from the motor 28, the drive here being accomplished as shown in Fig. 1, by providing it with a shaft 46 carrying a gear 47 which meshes with the motor driven gear segment 35. For the sake of simplicity the gear segment is omitted in Fig. 3 and the transmitter is shown driven directly from the motor. As :illustrated in this latter figure, a train of gears 48 is interposed be tween the main transmitter shaft 46 and the cam shaft 49. This cam shaft carries a suitable number of contact breaking cams. Three such cams, 50, 51 and 52 are shown, the shaft being shown in the figure as broken in three sections'for the purpose of clearly illustrating the action of these cams. 54, 55

and 56 are contact arms operated by the cams and carrying contacts 57 58 and 59 for engagement with the relatively station'- ary contacts 60, 61 and 62 respectively.

The repeater motor which directly effects the control of, the gun elevating mechanism, is indicated at 65 in Fig. 1 and, as will more 7 gear set 15.

The circuit connections between the transmitter and repeater motor have a common return conductor between the contact arms and the repeater motor field coils, in which there is interposed a suitable current source 76. Separate conductors 77, 78 and 7 9 extend from the contacts 60, 61 and 62 to the respectivefield coils 67 68 and69.

Where sufliciently stiff gyroscopes 20 are employed it is of course apparent that they may be directly connected to sight 10 and in this case motor 28 may be elminated and transmitter 45 driven directly from the segment 35 through pinion 47. r The operation, briefly, is as follows :Th gyroscope, being 'pendulously supported, is only responsive to angular movements in a vertical plane during the rocking or pitching motion of the ship, or unstable support. The natural tendency of the sight would be to follow the movement of the unstable support but this tendency is' immediately checked by the'follow-up motor, because any relative movement between the sight and the gyroscope, through the medium of the contact device, establishes the circuit through Q this motor necessary to cause it to bring the sight back to its original plane and into the position which it originally occupied with respect to the gyroscope. In this way the sight is. maintained in its set position pointing on the target independently of the angular movement of the ship in a vertical plane. Concurrently with the relative tilting of the sight to keep it pointed on the target, the follow-up motor is also operating the transmitter which is thereby caused to send impulses to the repeater motor necessary to in turn cause that motor to control the gun elevating mechanism in a way to cause it to elevate or depress the gun just suflicientto keep it elevated for the proper range.

The member or members to be controlled are thus by this invention shifted positively to maintain them in a predetermined plane relative to the horizon, and this is accomplished with the extreme sensitiveness and accuracy of control which is a feature of The line of sight from a ship to its target on the sea is of course practically horizontal, but in the drawings (Fig. 1) the gun and telescope are shown as parallel which corresponds of course to zero range. When the gun is'elevated for firing, its axis and the axis of the telescope of course converge as in Fig. 1 By tilting the arm 11 the telescope may be depressed over the angle of convergence with the axis of the gun equal to the angle at which the gun must be elevated above the horizontal in order to deliver its projectile over the distance to the target.

It should also be understood that material advantage may be attained by the use of the principles of our invention even if the construction or adjustment does not attain absolutely perfect stability or horizontality of the telescope itself, the relation between the gun and sight being of course adjustable at will. i

- What I claim is 1. The combination of a ship, a gun mounted thereon, mechanism for elevating the gun, a sight for the gun, a motor for tilting said sight and means operated by a movement of the ship for throwing said motor and said mechanism into operation to tilt said sight and said gun.

2. The combination of a gun, a support therefor, a motor for elevating and depress-.

ing the gun, power transmission mechanism arranged between said elevating motor and said gun, a motor for controlling said power transmission mechanism, a sight for said gun and a motor for tilting said sight and controlling said controlling motor.

3. The combination of a gun, a support therefor, a motor for elevating and de-.

pressing the gun, power transmission mechanlsm arranged between said elevating motor and said gun, a motor for controlling said power transmission mechanism, a follow-up motor for controlling said control motor and means operated by the tilting of said sup port for controlling saidfollow-up motor.

4:. In combination, a gun adapted to be mounted on an unstable support, mechanism for elevating thegun, a sight for the gun, a motor for tilting the sight and means adapt ed to be operated by an angular movement of the gun support for rendering the motorand the gun elevating mechanism 0 erative for tilting the sight and elevating t e gun.

5. The combination of a ship, a\ gun mounted thereon, an elevating arm, a sight pivotally mounted on said arm, a gyroscope pivotally mounted on arm said sight and gyroscope having b'earings parallel to each other and means controlled by said gyroscope for tilting said sight and said gun.

6. The combination of a ship, agun mounted thereon, a motor for elevating and depressing the gun, power transmission mechanism arranged between said elevating motor and said gun, a motor for controlling said power transmission mechanism, an elevating arm, a sight for said gun mounted on said elevating arm, a gyroscope mounted on said elevating arm, a follow-up motor mounted on the elevating arm controlled by the gyroscope and connected to tilt said sight and a transmitter mounted on the ole vating arm for controlling said controlling motor.

7. The combination of a gun, a support therefor, a motor for elevating and depressing the gun, power transmission mechanism arranged between said elevating motor and said gun, means for controlling said power transmission mechanism, a sight for the gun,

a motor for tilting said sight and means operated by the tilting of the gun support for controlling the sight tilting motor and the said controlling means.

8. In combination with"a gun and a sight for said gun, mechanism for elevating the gun, a motor for tilting the sight and gyroscopically controlled means for rendering the motor and gun elevating mechanism operative for tiltlng the sight and elevating the gun.

9. The combination with an unstable support and a member movably mounted thereon, of means for maintaining said member stable irrespective of angular movements of the unstable support, comprising a movable sighting device, a gyroscope, a control device operated by said. gyroscope, a follow-up motor connected to tilt, the sighting device and controlled by the said control device to maintain the said sighting device in the angular position predetermined upon, means for elevating the movable member and controlling connections from the follow-up motor to the said elevating means, whereb said elevating means is controlled to shi t the member in accord with the stabilizing movement imparted to the sighting device.

10. The combination with an "unstable support and a member movably mounted on said support, of means for maintaining the said member stable" irrespective of angular movements of the unstable support, comprising a movable sighting device for determining the position to be maintained by the movable member, a gyroscope, a contact device operated by said gyroscope, a followup motor connected,v to tilt the sighting device and controlled by the contact device to maintain said sighting device in the predetermined position, contact mechanism operated by the follow-up motor concurrently with the shifting of the sighting deviceby said motor, a repeater motor controlled by the said contact mechanism and means for elevating and depressing the movably supported member.

11. The combination with an unstable support and a member movably mounted on said support, of means for maintaining the said member stable irrespective of angular movements of the unstable support, comprising a movable sighting device for determining the position to be maintained by the movable member, a gyroscope, a contact device operated by said gyroscope, a follow-up motor connected to tilt the sighting device and controlled by the contact device to maintain said sighting device in the predetermined position, and means for elevating and depressing the movably supported member controlled by the said follow-up motor.

12. vThe combination with an unstable support and a member movably mounted thereon, of means for maintaining said'member stable irrespective of an gular movements of the unstable support, comprising a gyroscope, a control device operated by said gyroscope, a follow-up motor controlled by said control device, a transmitter operated by said motor, a repeater motor controlled by said transmitter and means for elevating and depressing the movable member controlled by the said repeater motor.

13. In combination, a member pivotally supported on a horizontal axis, a gear segment carried by said member, a gyroscope pivotally supported on a horizontal axis concentric with the axis of support of the said member, contacts on the gear segment, a cooperating contact carried by the gyroscope and a motor in driving engagement with the gear segment and controlled by the contacts aforesaid.

14;. The combination with an unstable support and a member movably mounted thereon, of means for maintaining said member stable irrespective of angular movements of the unstable support, comprising a, pendulously suspended gyroscope, a control device operated by said gyroscope, a sightin device, a motor connected to tilt the sig ting device and controlled by the control device to maintain the sighting device in the position predetermined upon, means for elevating and depressing the movable member and controlling connections from the motor to said, .elevating means whereby to control said elevating means to shift the movable member in accordance with the stabilizing movement imparted to the sighting device.

15. In automatic gun pointing, the combination with a gun and power mechanism for elevating and depressing the same, of means for keeping said gun elevated at an angle necessary for a given range comprising a gun sighting device, gyroscopically controlled means for maintaining said sighting device pointed on'the' target and con- 'nections from the said gyroscopically controlled means for controlling the gun elevating mechanism to thereby maintain the gun elevated for the range or distance of the said target;

16. In automatic gun pointing, the combination with a gun and power mechanism for elevating and depressing the same, of means for keeping said gun elevated for the range of a given target, comprising a gun sighting device, a gyroscope, a control device operated by said gyroscope, a motor connected to tilt the sighting device and controlled by said control device and control mechanism for the gun elevating mechanism operated by said motor simultaneously with the tilting of the sighting device by the said motor.

17. In automatic gun pointing, the combination with a gun and power mechanism for elevating and depressing the same of means for keeping said gun elevated for the range of a given target, comprising a gun sighting device, a gyroscope,a contact device operated by said gyroscope, a follow-up motor connected to tilt the sighting device and controlled by the contact device, a con- 'troller for the gun elevating mechanism and operating connections from'the followup motor to the said controller.

18. In combination, a pivotally supported telescope, a motor geared to tilt the said telescope, a gyroscope pivoted concentric to the pivot of the telescope tothereby swing about the same axis as the telescope and controlling means for said motor operated by said gyroscope to control the motor to tilt the telescope an amount necessary to maintain it in a relatively fixed plane.

19. In combination, a member pivotally supported on a horizontal axis, a gear seg ment carried by said member, a gyroscope pivotally supported on a horizontal axis concentric with the axis of support of-the said member, a contact device operated by said gyroscope and a motor in driving engagement with the gear segment and controlled by the contact device.

20. In combination, a member pivotally supported on a horizontal axis, a gear segment carried by said member, a gyroscope pivotally supported on a horizontal axis concentric With the axis of support of the said member, a contact device operated by said gyroscope, a motor in driving engagement with the gear segment and controlled by the contact device, a transmitter operated by the gear segment aforesaid, a second axis, a member to be controlled in unison.

with the first member and pivotally supported on a horizontal axis parallel with, f

the axis of the first member, a gyroscope pivotally supported on a horizontal axis concentric with the axis of one of the controlled members, power means for shifting the two members on their axes independently of each other and controlling means for said power shifting means under control of the gyroscope.

22. In combination with a gun, an elevating arm, a sight pivotally mounted on said elevating arm, a pendulously suspended gyroscope mounted on the elevating arm, a contact device including relatively movable parts carried by the gyroscope and sight respectively, a follow-up motor mounted on the elevating arm, geared to tilt the sight on its pivotal axis and controlled by the contact device, gun elevatingcmechanism and controlling means for .said gun elevating mechanism also operated by the follow-up motor.

23. In combination with a movably supported member and power mechanism for elevating the same, a gyroscopically controlled contact device, an electric motor controlled by said contact device, a circuitcontrolling transmitter operated by said motor and an electric motor controlling the power elevating mechanism and controlled by the said transmitter.

24. The combination of a movably supported device to be maintained in a given position, a support therefor, a motor for shifting said device, power transmission mechanism arranged between said shifting motor and said device, a motor for controlling said power transmission mechanism, a

follow-up motor for controlling said controlling motor and means operated on the movement of the support for controlling said follow-up motor.

25. The combination, of a support, a movably supported device mounted thereon, a motor for shifting said device, power transmission mechanism arranged between said shifting motor and said device, a motor for controlling said power transmission mechanism, a gyroscope, a follow-up motor controlled by the gyroscope and a transmitter for controlling the controlling motor.

BRADLEY A. FISKE. ELMER A. SPERRY.

\Vitnesses for Bradley A. Fiske:

J AMES F. OAKLEY, D. E. STEPHEN.

Witnesses for Elmer A. Sperry:

L. J. DIBBLE, F. C. NARVESEN. 

